中国科学院发表最新Nature论文，挑战极端环境生命极限模型

Core Viewpoint - The research highlights the discovery of chemosynthetic communities at extreme ocean depths, challenging existing hypotheses about life potential in such environments and providing new insights into deep-sea carbon cycling [3][5][6]. Group 1: Research Findings - The study identified chemosynthetic life forms, including tube worms and mollusks, at a depth of 9,533 meters in the Northwest Pacific Ocean [3]. - These chemosynthetic ecosystems exist in areas where geological faults release hydrogen sulfide and methane, indicating a complex interaction with the deep-sea carbon cycle [6]. - The research team utilized China's independently developed manned submersible "Fendouzhe" to explore the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench and the western Aleutian Trench, discovering the deepest and most widespread chemosynthetic communities known, ranging from 5,800 meters to 9,533 meters deep, spanning over 2,500 kilometers [5][6]. Group 2: Implications - The presence of these communities suggests that the distribution of chemosynthetic life may be more extensive than previously anticipated, potentially reshaping current models of life limits in extreme environments [6]. - The findings challenge existing theories regarding deep-sea carbon cycling and the potential for life in extreme conditions, indicating a need for further exploration and understanding of these ecosystems [5][6].